


Take My Hand

by sonicgirl313



Category: Twisted-Wonderland (Video Game)
Genre: F/M, First Crush, Night Raven College (Twisted-Wonderland), Ortho is more like a kid brother, Reverse Harem, Teacher are viewed like mentors, Transported to another world
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-15
Updated: 2021-03-21
Packaged: 2021-03-24 01:55:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,121
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30064899
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sonicgirl313/pseuds/sonicgirl313
Summary: 17 year-old Marie one day wakes up to find herself in a coffin and the newest student at a school called Night Raven College. With no immediate way home, Marie must make the most of her life in Twisted Wonderland. Doing so ends up entangling her fate with 21 boys.Reverse Harem FanficOC x All the boys but staff and OrthoMarie is technically my take on Yuu/MC
Relationships: Ace Trappola/Original Character(s), Azul Ashengrotto/Original Character(s), Cater Diamond/Original Character(s), Deuce Spade/Original Character(s), Epel Felmier/Original Character(s), Floyd Leech/Original Female Character(s), Idia Shroud/Original Character(s), Jack Howl/Original Character(s), Jade Leech/Original Character(s), Jamil Viper/Original Character(s), Kalim Al-Asim/Original Character(s), Leona Kingscholar/Original Character(s), Lilia Vanrouge/Original Character(s), Malleus Draconia/Original Character(s), Riddle Rosehearts/Original Character(s), Rook Hunt/Original Character(s), Ruggie Bucchi/Original Character(s), Sebek Zigvolt/Original Character(s), Silver (Twisted-Wonderland)/Original Character(s), Trey Clover/Original Character(s), Vil Schoenheit/Original Character(s)
Kudos: 15





	1. Welcome to the Villains' World

Take My Hand

Chapter 1

Candles are magically lit, revealing a single mirror. A bell tolls once and the image of a green inferno appears within the glass. Step, step, step. It was deathly quiet, leaving only the echoes of shoes as a young teenage girl present in the room slowly approached the mirror.

_Ah... my dear beloved. A lovely and noble flower of evil._

Step, step, step.

_Truly, you are the most beautiful of all._

The girl continued to approach the mirror, slowly but surely getting closer to it.

_Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the..._

The last few words fell into a whisper, leaving them unknown to her. With the last few steps, she was finally standing a mere few inches from the glass. A vision appeared of a black horse drawn carriage trotting along a dark forest road within it. In the back of the carriage lay a coffin, decorated with intricate golden carvings and handles. Awaiting at the end of the road was what looked to be a large castle. This image did not remain long as it soon faded away, replaced by the green flames.

_Those who are guided by the dark mirror._

The candles in the room blew out, leaving the girl in darkness. The only thing she could see was the soft glow of the mirror.

_As long as your heart desires,_

The flames parted to reveal a hand. It reached out from the glass, extending itself to the girl.

_take the hand that appears within the mirror._

Without any hesitation, the girl reached out and took ahold. The instant she had grasped the hand, it began to withdraw into the mirror, slowly pulling her along with it. The glass was like water, pooling around the girl's body as she sunk into the dark depths. When her head slipped beneath the glass, she gasped, finding that she could no longer breathe. A part of her panicked as she could not see nor hear anything in this abyss, she can only feel the hand still clinging tightly to her own.

_For me. For them. For you. We are all running out of time. No matter what never let go of my hand._

Marie groaned as she opened her eyes. What a strange dream she just had. It felt so vivid, yet unreal at the same time. A delicate balance that teetered on the edge of mystical and reality. The sensation of the events were freshly seared into her memory. The cold yet comforting hand, the icy plunge into the mirror, and the beats of her heart thudding painfully in her chest. It wasn't the most wild of her dreams, but certainly was the most puzzling.

"I'm not gonna drink chocolate milk before bed if it's gonna give me dreams like that. Wait... has my room always been this dark?" _  
_

Marie went to sit up, but didn't get far as her head collided with something hard. She yelped, rubbing the freshly made bump.

"What the..." her hands reached out, feeling along the wooden surface "am I locked in something?! Oh my god, I did not just get stolen away in the night did I?!" She pressed against the wood, but it didn't budge. "Oh god, oh god, oh god!"

So many questions were running through her head. How did this happen? When and where was she was actually taken? Why was she locked up in a small space? The thought popped into her head to start screaming for help until she heard a voice. Her breath hitched, fearing it might be her kidnapper. Rough growls and grunts could be heard. The wall in front of her slightly shook and squeaked in sync with the noises. Just exactly was this mysterious figure doing?

"Gah, lid won't budge." a high pitch tone said, "Time for my secret move!"

Before Marie could even ponder what this "secret move" was, blue flames filled her vision. She immediately screamed in fear, slamming both of her arms out against the wooden wall with enough force to knock it away. Finally, now she can see where she was. Her heart nearly stopped as she stared wide-eyed at her surroundings. She was in a room filled with floating coffins. In fact, the thing she had been locked in was none other than a coffin itself. The brief thought she had been taken by serial killers crossed her mind.

"Alright, I did it! Now to..." the mystery voice spoke up.

Tilting her head toward the voice, she was the greeted with the sight of a large gray cat standing on its hind legs. The abnormal size, fire in ears, and pitchfork tail all made it impossible to mistake for a normal household cat.

"Gwahhh! Why are you awake?!" the cat exclaimed.

"Okay, I have to be still be dreaming if there's a talking cat!"

"Cat?! I'm no cat!" it snapped, "I'm the Great Grim!" He snarled, floating in front of the frightened girl. "Now hurry and gimme those clothes!"

Clothes? Finally taking note of her attire, Marie saw she was dressed in black and purple robes. Had she'd been calmer, she would have admired the beautiful gold decorations on her sleeves and the bottom of her robe. But that would require an angry monster cat not being in front of her; just her luck.

"And if you don't, I'll roast ya!" Grim threatened, breathing out a small bit of blue fire.

"Of all the dreams to have... I just had to have one about a talking cat threatening to kill me."

Grim narrowed his eyes, the fire in his ears flickering with intensity. "I said I'm not a freaking cat!"

Sensing his intent, Marie quickly jumped out of the coffin, just in time to avoid the deadly inferno. Whelp, with a cat out to end her, there was only one thing to do. She ran from the room as fast as she could. It didn't matter where she was going, just so long as she could get away from that crazy cat.

"Those flames felt too hot to be a dream!"

This was all reality, which led to an even bigger question. Exactly where was she? Sprinting down the stone hallway, she searched desperately for any kind of indication of her location. Through the arched windows, she caught quick glimpses of a large courtyard. And there, in an open door she dashed by, the girl swore she saw a classroom. Okay, at least she can recognize she's at a school, that's good. But unfortunately, that didn't tell her anything about where the school was. Behind her, Marie could hear the enraged yells of Grim gaining up on her. Just exactly how fast was that cat?!

Running was doing no good, she needed to find a place to hide. Up ahead was a nearby door, maybe she could hide in there. Without any hesitation, the teen flung the door open and slammed it closed. Once inside, she noted the shelves and floating books. Was this a weird library of some sort? Ah, who cares! She can't think about that when a fire breathing cat was on her tail. Scampering behind one of the shelves, Marie hunkered down into a ball and pulled the hood on her robe over her head. With hope, Grim would take one look and just leave.

The girl resisted the urge to flinch when she heard the slam of the door. Just stay still and he'll leave, it'll be that simple... hopefully. There was the sound sniffing mixed with his paws lightly tapping across the floor. Marie shoved both hands over her mouth when she heard Grim drawing near. He didn't manage to find her already did he? The sound of sniffing faded into unsettling snickering.

"Stupid human! Did you really think you'd get away from my nose?"

Well that's just perfect. The cat was both fast and had a great sense of smell. It was official, she was toast, quite literally in this case.

"Now, if you don't want to get roasted, better hand over-"

Suddenly there was a loud snap along with Grim's cry. Curiosity getting the best of her, Marie slowly poked her head out from behind the bookshelf. There she saw Grim bound up by a long whip.

"Ow! What's with this cord?" the cat asked with a few tears brimming at the edges of his blue eyes.

A deep yet angry voice answered "This is no mere cord. It is a lash of love!"

Looking up, Marie saw a man in a black suit and top hat with feathers and wearing a bird mask. As if things weren't strange enough already with the cat.

"Ah, found you at last." the man sighed, helping the girl up off the floor, "You mustn't run off like that young man. New students shouldn't leave the gate on their own. In fact, you shouldn't be able to leave the gate at all until necessary. Still, I will let this slide for now but I won't tolerate any rule-breaking in the future."

"New student?! Young man?! But I'm not-"

"Now now, we're wasting time with idle chatter. We must be off to the Hall of Mirrors as the entrance ceremony has already begun. Once you're assigned to your dorm perhaps next you can work on taming your familiar."

Grim sneered, swinging as he dangled in the whip.

"Let me go, I'm not their freaking familiar."

"Uh huh, now quiet down will you?" the man replied, holding Grim against his chest and placing his hand over his mouth.

"But sir, he really isn't my-"

"Ah, we're already as late as is. If we must chat, let it be as we walk."

Marie let out an exhausted sigh. This bird man hasn't let her get in a single word. Had he done so, he would have realized the conclusions he has made about her are completely wrong. She's no new student and she's certainly no male. Heck, she still has no idea where she is. But it seemed the man was dead set on his destination as he walked out of the library at brisk pace with Grim wriggling in his arms. She was still worried about her situation, but it seemed if she wanted answers, she had to place her faith in this stranger.

"Wait!" she called out, chasing after the man, "Who are you and where the heck am I?"

"What's this? Are you dazed? Hmm, well I suppose the teleportation magic has left new arrivals disoriented in the past. Very well, I shall give you an explanation." the man smiled with his yellow eyes squinting. "For I am gracious."

He cleared his throat and extended out his arm to gesture to their surroundings. "This is Night Raven College. It is one of the most prestigious schools in Twisted Wonderland for young male magicians. And I am the headmaster, appointed to take care of this academy by the board chairman, Dire Crowley."

"Night Raven College? Twisted Wonderland? And I'm here why exactly?"

"Well as I said before, you are one of our new students. Magicians from all around the world are selected by the Dark Mirror. You should at least recall the Ebony Carriage with the gate being sent to obtain you."

Marie hesitantly nodded her head. She had seen one, but that was a dream wasn't it? At least she certainly doesn't remember any carriage coming to her home. _"Maybe I was right the first time, maybe I'm still dreaming?"_ Very discreetly, she reached inside her sleeve and gave herself a harsh pinch. Doing so immediately rewarded her with pain. _"Nope, still reality."_

"Still, normally students aren't able to leave the gate until it is opened with a special key. How exactly did you manage to leave yours?"

Gate? The only thing she could think of was that coffin she woke up in. That had to be what Crowley was referring to. Now she thought about it, her "dream" did have a coffin sitting in the back of the carriage. At least she think it did. The more she tried to recall the "dream" with clarity, the fuzzier it got. The sound of Crowley's cough reached her ears, stirring her from her thoughts. Apparently the bird man is getting impatient for her response.

"Oh right, sorry." Marie muttered before clearing her throat, "Well I wasn't able to get out until Grim used his fire. So maybe he knocked it loose."

"Ah, so this rebellious familiar is the cause. Why am I not surprised?" Crowley sighed, his yellow eyes narrowing.

Grim could only let out muffled growls in response. He frequently wriggled in the headmaster's grip, his tail flickering back and forth.

"Now if you're all caught up, let us proceed to the entrance ceremony."

Marie gave a curt nod, silently walking alongside her guide. Though as they grew nearer to the room she originally woke up in, she could hear voices. She could only assume these were the other new students Crowley had mentioned. Seem there's a discussion taking place as she heard words like "Where did the dean go?" and "Did he get a stomach ache?" Though the discussion seemed cut short the moment Crowley slammed open the doors, proclaiming his arrival. When Marie stepped in the room, she froze when she saw the room was now full of hooded figures staring directly at her.

Ah, now this is embarrassing. The girl bit her lip, trying to pull her hood even further over her head. Maybe she can disappear all together. Unfortunately, it seemed the headmaster wanted to make her even more flustered.

"I can't believe you all. We were missing one new student, so I went to find him." Crowley scolded, placing his free hand on her back.

_"Please stop, I can feel their judging gazes practically burning holes into me."_

The bird man slightly bent down to her level and said in a hushed tone "From the look of things, you're the only one to be assigned a dormitory. Go approach the Dark Mirror, I shall keep an eye on the cat."

With the last of his words, he gently nudged her forward. Marie took in a deep breath and wrung her hands together. Seems she has no choice in the matter. As she approached the mirror, she could still feel the stares, causing her movement to be slower. In an attempt to try to lessen the awkwardness, she turned her head toward the five closest figures to her and gave them a nervous smile.

One figure seemed to be a boy with red hair, who only returned her smile with a stern glare. Another simply narrowed his green eyes and, wait... are those lion ears she can see peeking out of his hood? Two of the robed figures actually returned her smile, both with white hair. The only difference is the smile from the white-haired boy with red eyes was clearly genuine. The boy with glasses, on the other hand, there seemed to be slyness and cunning behind his. Though behind him she noted there was a floating blue tablet with a skull emblem on it. How odd. The final figure had quite a beautiful face, if only he wasn't staring at her in disinterest.

Finally she was standing in front of the mirror. Within it appeared a mask-like face with dark markings around its eyes.

"State thy name."

"Marie Anderson."

"Wait one second, Marie? Isn't that awfully feminine name for a boy?" Crowley questioned.

Marie let out an annoyed sigh before turning around to face the headmaster. "I was trying to tell you but you kept cutting me off." She pulled off her hood to reveal her sandy blonde hair. "I'm not a guy. I mean sure, this pixie haircut is a bit boyish, but I can assure you I'm female."

In that instant, the room was filled with mutters and whispers, making the girl wish that maybe she shouldn't have made that reveal. Fortunately, the chatter was silenced by the mirror stating her name. Returning her attention to the magical glass, she held her breath as it stared at her.

"The shape of thy soul is..." its brows furrowed with its lips pressed into a firm frown. This silence only served to create tension in the room. Finally, it replied "I do not know."

"Pardon?" Crowley questioned with wide eyes.

The mirror narrowed its gaze on Marie. "I sense not a spark of magic from this one... The color, the shape, they all are nothing. Therefore, she is suited for no dormitory."

The mutters and whispers from before returned with a vengeance, filling up the entire room with them. As if being a girl at an all-boys school was bad enough, the Dark Mirror just had to add magicless on top of that. Maybe it's not too late to make a run for it. Marie tried to dart out in the room, only to bump into a couple of robed figures. Whelp, scratch that plan.

"An Ebony Carriage would absolutely never go to meet someone who can't use magic, let alone a girl!" Crowley exclaimed in shock. "In 100 years, there has not been once been a mistake in student selection. So why in the world..."

But due to his shock, Crowley had unintentionally loosened his grip on Grim. The cat grunted as he wriggled both out of the bird man's arms and the whip.

"Then let me take her place! Unlike that dumb human, I can use magic!" he turned toward the girl with an angry grin, "If you need proof, I'll show you!"

Not even needing a second to realize what was about to happen, the boy with red hair yelled "Everyone, get down!"

Oh no, not again! Marie yelped as she lunged off the venue, managing to dodge blue fire for the second time that day. Though she didn't quite anticipate the landing, and ended up falling on the boy wearing glasses. Ah, of course it had to be the one with the untrustworthy smile. The fireball ended up flying over the students, hitting one of the curtains before exploding into flames. Unfortunately for the boy with white hair and red eyes, the back end of his robe was caught by a few stray embers.

"Waaaah! Hottttttt! My butt's on fire!"

"At this rate, the school will be a sea of fire! Somebody, catch that cat!" Crowley demanded.

"Che! I don't see why I need to worry about some pest. Can't you just do it yourself teach?" the man with lion ears grumbled, not bothering to get off the floor.

"Hmm? Well wouldn't it be ideal for you to hunt it down?" the beautiful man stated as he brushed the dirt off his robe, "Doesn't it look like a plump snack?""

The beastman sneered in response, clearly showing his fangs "Then why don't you do it pretty boy?"

Marie couldn't believe this. There was literally a fire-breathing cat on the loose, and they're spending their time arguing over who should go after the dang thing. Remembering she had landed on someone, she glanced down to see the untrustworthy boy underneath her. Though strangely enough, his slyness and cunning were gone. Instead, he stared at her with wide blue eyes and his face blushing a bright red. Without warning, he shoved her off and scampered to his feet. Clearing his throat and adjusting his robes, his smile finally returned.

"Mr. Crowley, please leave it to me." he smirked, "I'm sure the others couldn't stomach harassing the poor creature, so I will take it upon myself."

The blue tablet in the air chuckled. "That's Azul for you. Always trying to earn himself points."

Ah, so Azul is it? Now the girl had a name for the one who rudely shoved her. But then again, she did fall on him. So it's only fair. Didn't change the fact his words were practically dripping with manipulation.

"It's fine, it fine!" Crowley sighed, "Just someone please capture that cat!"

Grim yelled in frustration, stomping his foot angrily. "How many times do I have to tell you, I'm not a cat! I am the greatest magician, the Great Grim!"

Azul clicked his tongue. "It certainly has moxie." He looked toward the boy with red hair and said with a tone of honey, "Care to help me, Riddle?"

Riddle narrowed his blue eyes, but nonetheless walked up next to Azul.

"I can't overlook those who breaks rules. Let's hurry and get it."

Both pulling out their wands, they fired spells at Grim. Seeing this, the cat yelled out in fear before taking off running. Refusing to let him get away, the two boys pursued him, chasing him out of the Hall of Mirrors.  
Marie's lips pressed into a thin line. Well, that was quite the commotion. But on the bright side, everyone isn't staring at her anymore. Maybe she could use this chance to sneak away unnoticed. Slowly, she started crawling away. It seemed to work, at least until the lion guy simply reached out and grabbed her hood.

"And just where do you think you're going herbivore?" he growled, yanking on her robe and causing her to fall on her back.

Whelp, so much for getting out of trouble.

"Ummm, hey, could someone put out my butt fire already!?"


	2. Stranded

Chapter 2

The sound of footsteps and magic filled the school hallways. Grim was snickering to himself as he ran, breathing out fire here and there. Riddle and Azul were still in hot pursuit, with the former blasting his own fire magic back at the cat while the latter used water magic to deal with any stray flames.

"Can't believe I'm having to run in the hallways to capture this monster." the redhead grumbled, "Having to break a rule of the Queen of Hearts just to catch another rule breaker, the nerve!"

"Oh, but Riddle, does it not matter how many rules are broken, only that the culprit is caught?" Azul asked.

Riddle glanced over his companion without ruining his pace, narrowing his blue eyes.

"Of course you would have such flawed thoughts, Azul. You'll dirty your hands if it means getting what you want."

The white-haired teen simply smirked. "Oh Riddle, your words are too kind."

The cat scampered into the cafeteria with the two boys still hot on his trail. He slipped under one of the many tables, disappearing from sight. Riddle carefully looked around, his grip firm on his magic pen. He couldn't afford to use his magic haphazardly, as the cafeteria contained old structures and breaking something irreplaceable was just yet another way to break one of the many rules of the Queen of Hearts.

Azul crouched down underneath the table. He could see a glimpse of blue flames, but wasn't able to find a clear opening. He stood back up with a hum. If only there was a way to lure out the little monster. He glanced around the room, studying his surroundings. Finally, his sight had settled on the buffet serving station. A chuckle slipped from his lips as he pushed up his glasses. Without a word, he walked behind the station and opened up one of the small fridges.

"Azul, what are you doing?!" Riddle hissed, "Laws of the Queen of Hearts Number 41: 'One shall not take food nor beverages before assigned meal times.' You may not be in my dorm, but don't think that excludes you from punishment."

"Shh, do not worry so much." Azul slyly hummed, pulling out a slice of chocolate cake, "I can assure you this is for our benefit."

He set it out on the nearest table before quickly hiding behind the server station, dragging Riddle along with him. Very carefully, the two peeked over the station with their gazes focused on the desert. For a few seconds, nothing happened. But sure enough, Grim's head popped back into view.  
The cat sniffed the air with a puzzled look. The moment he saw the slice of chocolate cake, his blue eyes practically sparkled in excitement. Looking to the left and the right, he saw no one near. So with an excited grin, he jumped on top of the table and ran over to the dish.

 _"Alright, he's distracted."_ the redhead thought to himself, _"Now I just need to use my unique magic and-"_

Unfortunately, he didn't finish his thought when Azul jumped to full height and cast a one of his void spells. Seeing the oncoming attack, Grim yelped in fear, jumping down from the table and running out of the cafeteria. Seeing the troublemaker run off once more, Riddle stood up and glared at his fellow student.

"Now you're just toying with it, Azul."

"Oh, but isn't the chase part of the fun?" Azul replied, a dark glint in his eyes, "Don't you want the victim to squirm before you close in on them?"

"No, I frankly do not. I would rather prevent any more rules from being broken. That is how order is maintained. Now if you're done with your nonsense, we are chasing down the cat again, and this time, I shall be the one to deal with it."

Azul gave a curt nod. "As you wish, Riddle. It is time for this game of chase to come to a close."

Without a word, the two rushed back out into the hallway. Riddle noticed Grim running in the direction of the Hall of Mirrors. Perfect; they will corner the monster there and then he would put an end to its troublemaking. But for now, he and Azul need to make sure Grim keeps running in that direction. Both boys ran as fast as they could, their robes swishing around their legs. A flick of his wrist and Riddle easily fired a ball of flame. Even though the cat dodged it, he still remained on the run. Azul followed it up by blasting a stream of water. The attack managed to hit the cat.

"Fwah! Watch it! This fire ain't for decoration you know!" Grim shouted, shaking his wet fur.

Keeping ahead of his pursuers, Grim reached the end of the hallway and rushed into the pair of open doors.

* * *

Marie let out a huff, still held from behind by the hood of her robe. Suddenly her head perked up when she heard a familiar high-pitched yell. Standing back up, only then did the man with lion ears finally let go. She saw Grim ran back into the room along with the two boys that chased after him.

"What the?! I'm back where I started! Grrr, all these hallways look the same!"

Before the cat could take off again, Riddle pointed what looked to be a black pen with a red gem and shouted "OFF WITH YOUR HEAD!"

In that instant, a black and red collar shaped like a heart clamped itself around Grim's neck, causing him to cry out. That had to look painful. Marie couldn't help but rub her own neck from the sight of it.

"Nygah! The heck is this!?" Grim sneered, his paws trying to claw the collar off.

Riddle simply humped, crossing his arms firmly across his chest. "Laws of the Queen of Hearts Number 23: 'One shall never bring a cat into a festival.' You being a cat means you've broken the rule. I shall have you leave at once."

"I'm not a cat! I'll burn this collar right up and..." he opened his mouth, but only pained squeaks came out. His brows furrowed in confusion. He tried again, but still no flames, not even a spark. His blue eyes widen in disbelief. "E-eh?! I-I can't use my fire!"

"Of course. My will is law after all. You won't be using any kind of magic as long as you wear that collar. You're no more than just a regular housecat right now. You could even be kept for a pet." Hearing Riddle's words, Grim sneered at him before clawing at the collar even more. "But don't worry, I have no interest in keeping a pet like you. The collar will be removed the moment you're tossed out of the school. Now if you will, headmaster."

"Wow, as wonderful as ever. Any and all magic gets sealed by your Unique Magic, Riddle." Azul praised before his eyes darkened with a sly smirk, "I want it..." The moment those words left his mouth, he saw Riddle give him a stern glare and start to raise his pen. Immediately, he raised his hands, smiling nervously "No, I wouldn't ever want _that_ cast on me."

"Well done, Riddle, I expected nothing less." Crowley applauded, "But throwing out the creature isn't necessary, rather he must be trained." His yellow gaze narrowed as he focused on Marie. "This only happened cause you recklessly claimed a familiar without any experience. As the owner, you must take responsibility."

There he goes again, making assumptions. First claiming she was a boy, then a new student, and now the owner of the monster cat. Well, she wasn't about to take the blame for something that wasn't her fault. Especially when she had nearly been scorched by the cat earlier.

"Again, this was something else I was trying to tell you! He's not my familiar! Heck, this is my first time seeing him!"

The headmaster was taken back, the surprise was clearly written on his face.

"Ah, I see." he coughed into his hand, "Nevermind then, have the monster thrown out at once."

The girl then immediately slightly regretted her outburst as she watched one of the robed figures pick Grim up by the scruff. The sight of him wriggling, crying out how he would be a great magician, it almost made her feel bad for him. Though, there was the fact he tried to kill her, so her satisfaction overshadowed that feeling. But still, why did he want into the school so badly? Crowley did say it was prestigious, but surely attending wouldn't automatically make you the greatest magician like Grim wished to be. Oh well, thoughts to be unexplored. Grim was gone and she doubted he'll get back into the school so easily.

"Now then, we had a bit of trouble along the way but this brings the entrance ceremony to a close. Dormitory Heads, please show the new students back to the dormitories." Crowley turned toward the five dorm heads, but then pursed his lips. "Hm? Now that I think about it, I don't see the leader for Diasomnia, Malleus Draconia, around at all..."

Malleus Draconia? Marie couldn't help but feel a chill run down her spine from hearing it.

"That's no different than usual, isn't it?"

"What? Did nobody tell him about the ceremony?"

"If you're going to complain, you should've done it yourself."

"Hmmm. But I don't really know anything about that guy."

All around her, Marie could hear frightened whispers among the students. Just who was this Malleus Draconia and why is he so feared? Admittedly just from hearing his name gave her the shakes, but he couldn't be that bad can he? _"Then again, I really don't have any grounds to think that."_ She's not even from here, so she honestly knows nothing about him. Heck, she knows nothing as she shouldn't. Still though, it probably wouldn't be so bad to have met this Malleus and see him with her own eyes.

"Ah, so I was right." A short-robed figure sighed, "I thought Malleus would be here but he is missing once again. Seems his invitation 'never arrived' again."

Marie had to do a double-take upon seeing the figure. He didn't look old enough to attend that school at all. If anything, he looked like he was in his early teens with his youthful face. Yet, he didn't act like a child. In fact, the way he spoke seemed to emit wisdom and maturity that far surpassed her own. But he was a student of the school, so he couldn't possibly be that old right?

The girl was snapped out of her thoughts, by Azul saying "My deepest apologies. I promise we didn't intend to exclude him." Ah, there's that untrustworthy singing tone again.

"His aura makes it hard to approach him." Riddle added, his blue eyes glancing off to the side.

The short figure sighed, giving a deadpanned look. Finally, he shook his head, closing his ruby-colored eyes. "It's fine. Members of the Diasomnia Dormitory can come with me." His eyes reopened as he muttered under his breath, "I hope this doesn't upset him too much."

With that, the students broke up into groups and followed each of the dorm heads. They filed out of the room until only Crowley and Marie remained. The headmaster frowned down at the girl. Even with the mask, Marie could tell he pitied her. She was a girl and had no magic; there was no place for her.

"I am terribly sorry about this Ms. Anderson, but you will have to leave. Even if I were to overlook you being a girl, I wouldn't be able to admit you. This school is meant to train young magicians and without magic, it's impossible for you to learn here." He gestured a hand out toward the mirror, "But do not fret, you can easily return home. Step forth before the Dark Mirror as you did before. Picture your home within your mind and gate shall appear for you to enter."

Marie nodded her head before walking up to the mirror.

"Oh, Dark Mirror! Guide this one back to the place she belongs!"

Clasping her hands together, her thoughts drifted to that of home. The spring breeze, the colorful trees, basking out in the green grass, her parents and little sister. Everything was clear in her mind. Even if this is reality, she would wake up back in her bedroom with Twisted-Wonderland as nothing but a distant memory. A few seconds passed, but nothing happened. Marie's brows furrowed in confusion. Didn't Crowley say a gate should be appearing by now? Instead, all she could see was the mask-like face staring back at her.

"Let's try once more." Crowley said with a reassuring yet slightly nervous smile. "Oh, Dark Mirror! Guide this-"

"It is nowhere."

Marie's blood ran cold. Nowhere, what did it mean by nowhere?! Glancing over at the bird man, even he was as taken back as her with his mouth hanging open in shock.

"The place she belongs is nowhere in this world... It does not exist."

She couldn't believe this, is the mirror implying that she can't be sent home? That she's stuck here? Oh no, no, no! That can't be right! She can't be stuck there! She has a home and family that's bound to be worried sick once they discover her missing. There just had to be a way back. Out of panic, she squeezed her eyes shut. Maybe if she hoped enough, she would end up back in her room. Yeah, that had to work. Yet when she opened her eyes, there was still Crowley and the mirror. The world started feeling like it was spinning around her. Why? Why did this have to happen to her?

"This is unbelievable." Crowley replied. He paused briefly to hum as he grasped his chin. "Well, the unbelievable has been on parade today." His tongue let out a loud click as he took a few moments in thought. Turning toward Marie, he asked "Where did you come from exactly?"

"Um, that would be New Hampshire."

At this reply, Crowley's face scrunched up in confusion.

"New Hampshire? I've never heard of that place." A few more hums slipped from his mouth. The golden talons on the end of his gloves tapped loudly against the handle of his cane. "I have a general grasp of where all the students came from but I've never even heard that name before. This might require a bit of research." He swiftly turned on his heel, heading for the door. "Come along Ms. Anderson, we shall go to the library. Perhaps there we may find a solution to your predicament."

* * *

Marie stared in awe, watching Crowley fly up to high shelves with ease and take a couple of books with ease. Ignoring the the dread of being potentially stranded in an unknown world, seeing actual magic was still breathtaking. It was the type of thing she had thought only existed in fiction or fairytales. Yet here it was, being performed before her very eyes. She stepped aside as Crowley landed back on the ground with books and rolled up maps. Silently she followed him over to the nearest table where he laid out all his gatherings.

The girl picked up one of the books and opened it to a random page. Inside detailed lands and sights she had never heard of before. Land of Pyroxene, Coral Sea, Valley of Thorns; all these locations were foreign to her. Admittedly it kind of piqued her interest a bit. She nearly found herself absorbed reading more until she heard Crowley grumble loudly.

"I've looked through all these books and maps and couldn't find anything about this New Hampshire. It really is like it doesn't exist." His golden eyes narrowed in suspicion. "You're not lying to me by any chance are you?"

Once again, the bird man has made an incorrect conclusion about her.

"Are you suggesting I'm lying just so I can try staying at this school?!" She slammed closed the book she was holding, "Why would I do something like that?! Besides, the Dark Mirror told you that I can't be sent home. Now unless I have the ability to trick a magical item that can apparently peer into my soul, you have no reason to assume I'm lying!"

The headmaster slightly flinched from her yelling. The girl didn't mean to snap at him like that but she had grown tired of the assumptions. Once is understandable, twice is annoying but tolerable. Four times though, oh that was far past the breaking point. Inhaling deeply through her nose, she tried calming herself down. No sense in getting angry. Screaming at the bird man won't get her any closer to finding a way home. Feeling her anger slip away, she gave out a quiet apology before reaffirming that she was speaking the truth.

"I suppose you are right." Crowley replied with a frown, "I apologize for assuming the worst of you Ms. Anderson." He sighed as his fingers began rubbing the sides of his head. "Still though, looking at all the facts, it seems you are not from here. Rather you might be from another planet or even another world."

"Yeah, let's go with another world. Last I checked, I'm no alien."

Lowering his hands from his head, Crowley asked "I don't suppose you manage to have anything on you that could give us a clue? Like a license, or identification of any sort?"

"Considering the last thing I remember is being in my PJs, yeah, I doubt I have any of those things."

"Well you can't be sent home, and it simply wouldn't be proper to have a penniless teenager try to fend for herself, I suppose I have no choice. You will have to remain on the school premises. " The headmaster quickly raised his index finger, "But I should clarify you still won't be a student, this is just so you can have a roof over your head. Fortunately, there is an unused building that use to be a dormitory in the past. If you clean it up, you should be able to sleep there. In the meantime, I will look for a way to return you home." A large smile spread on his face with his eyes squinting happily. "My graciousness is limitless! I am a model for all educators."

Marie let out a sigh before replying "I suppose it'll have to do. An old dorm huh? Alright, shouldn't be too bad."

* * *

She had spoken too soon. What lay before her was an old, decrepit two-story building. It looked more like a haunted house than an unused building, surrounded by dead trees and a few tombstones. The girl turned toward Crowley, scrunching up her nose at him.

"Am I really sleeping here?"

"Oh, it might not look much, but the Ramshackle Dorm has a certain charm to it."

Well if that isn't just the perfect name. As if the building's appearance wasn't enough, its title had to spell out the fact that it's a hunk of junk. With shoulders slouched, she silently followed Crowley down the stone path. She supposed she can't complain too much, considering she had nowhere else to stay. Once they reached the front door, the bird man opened it up, causing it to let out a loud creak. Marie was surprised the door didn't break off its hinges just from being used. Stepping inside the old dorm, she was greeted with cobwebs, broken furniture, and so much dust that it could be mistaken for snow.

"Well, I must be off. I have to attend to the school and do research. Do take care and not wander the school grounds. Farewell!"

With that said, the headmaster slammed the door closed. But because of this, dust from the ceiling dumped onto Marie's head.  
The girl let out a hacking cough, shaking out her sandy-blonde hair. Taking one more look at the disaster area, she let out a groan. Looks like she's got her work cut out for her if this was to be her temporary home. She walked over to a fallen coffee table and set it upright, using the sleeve of her robe to wipe off the dust. Once done, she took off her robe, leaving her in a black button-up shirt with gold decorations around the collar and black pants.

Rolling up her sleeves, she set about picking up the fallen items. Scattered logs were placed in an organized pile next to the fireplace. Old and dusty books were placed back on their shelves and fallen pictures back on their walls. In the middle of the room, the blonde actually found a tipped-over rocking chair. It didn't take much effort to set it back upright. Momentarily she paused, wiping her brow. _"Get stuck in another world and the first thing I end up doing is cleaning duty. If only I ended up stuck in a five star resort instead."_

And so her work continued, consisting of clearing away dust, reorganizing things, and pulling white cloths off of some furniture. By the time she was finished, Marie was sweating with her clothes slightly soaked.

_"Jeez, and that was only this room. Who knows how many rooms I have left to clean."_

Suddenly she heard the sound of tapping against the window. Looking outside, Marie saw it had began to rain. Ah, so weather here is no different from her own world. Something she really shouldn't be surprised by, but still, she appreciated there was at least something still familiar. Sitting down on the couch next to the window, she watched the water drops streak down the glass. It reminded her of watching the rainfall along with her little sister when they were kids. A bittersweet smile formed on her lips.

All of the sudden, the door slammed open before closing. Marie jumped to her feet, slightly startled by the loud noise. Did Crowley come back to check on her?

But just then, a familiar high-pitched voice yelled "Nyeh! It's really coming down!"

No, it couldn't be, it just couldn't! But sure enough, a certain gray cat was now standing in the hallway.

"You again! How did you get in here?!"

Grim grinned placing his paws to mouth in laughter as he entered the main lounge.

"Gyahaha! You've got this stupid look on your face like a spider being attacked by a water gun!" With a smug grin, he jumped up onto the couch and stretched on all fours. "Sneaking back into this school is no problem for a genius like me. If you think getting thrown out once is gonna make me give up, you have another thing coming."

Marie rose a brow in puzzlement. For someone who tried to kill her not that long ago, he's being awfully friendly with her. She couldn't help but be on guard. Cautiously, she inched her way toward the cat. Maybe she can grab him by the scruff and take him over to Crowley. No way she's letting a killer flame cat be in the same room as her. As if sensing her intentions, Grim gave her a deadpan stare.

"Look, if you think I'm gonna roast ya, I'm not. It'd be a waste to use on a dummy like you."

Dummy? Oh, that cat did not just call her that. Her green eyes glared at the cat, the floorboards obnoxiously squeaking when she stomped over to him.

"Oh? Yet you seemed to have no problem doing so earlier." Marie said with a hint of a snarl, "In fact, you were very determined to do so twice."

"Meh, that was then when I thought the school was actually going to let in an idiot like you. But now I can see, you're in the same boat as me. We're just a couple of outcasts the school doesn't want. So now you aren't a threat to my spot, I can tolerate you now."

"Stop calling me an idiot! I have a name and it's Marie!"

Grim simply grunted as he laid splayed out on the couch. It was ironic to the girl that the monster insisted he wasn't a cat, but now was relaxing exactly like one. Suddenly, water dripped from the ceiling and hit Grim's head.

"Nyaa! So cold! The roof is leaking!"

Marie sighed out of exasperation. Considering how run down the dorm was, it would have surprised her if the roof didn't have any leaks. Another drip and the cat whined in annoyance with his ears folded back. Even though he annoyed her, Marie found herself worried. The water can't be good for the fire in his ears. It might even badly affect him if they were to go out. Another drip, another whine. Biting her lip in thought, she finally shook her head. Without a word, she walked over to the couch and picked up Grim.

"Gah, what are you doing stupid human?!" he yelled, kicking his lower legs that dangled from her arms.

"Well considering you seemed too lazy to move, but kept complaining about the leaks, I decided to move you myself."

"Grr! The Great Grim doesn't need help, especially from a dumb human!"

"You know, I could always throw you outside, then the leaks would be the least of your problems. And once again, I have a name, it's Marie."

The cat opened his mouth, seemingly to reply but immediately clamped his mouth close.

"Fine." he grumbled, his forelegs securing themselves to the girl's arms, "I will allow you to help me du-" Hearing the familiar insult the blonde flashed her teeth in a threatening grin. "Ugh, I mean Marie."

Letting out a satisfied hum, she walked out of the lounge area. Now she needed to find a dry place not only for the cat but herself. Upon entering the hallway, Marie was greeted with a cold chill. Her first reaction was to brush it off as just a result of the weather. The building was bound to have ventilation problems, so it was nothing to worry about too much. But when she walked further down into the hallway, the chilling sensation went straight up her spine. The girl yelped, nearly jumping a foot off the ground.

 _"Was something behind me just now?"_ Her arms tightened around Grim as she took a few steps back. Meanwhile, Grim himself was shaking with his fur standing straight up. Just then, she saw something white from the corner of her eye on her right. She immediately turned in that direction only to come face to face with a ghostly spirit. Both Grim and Marie let out a scream as the teen scrambled backwards. "Ghhhhhhhoooooooooosssssssssttttttssss!"

The short ghost chuckled as a tall one and a chubby one appeared next to it on each side.

"Hehehe, it's been so long since we had a guest."

"Everyone else who use to live here got scared and ran away."

"We've been looking for more ghost pals. How about you guys?"

Ghost pals?! As in becoming like them?! No, absolutely not, she was too young to join the ranks of the dead.

"Why do things keep trying to kill me in this world?!"


End file.
